August 6 Legislative Report: Cho Kuk Innovation Party Accelerates Education Legislation, Leads Teacher Rights Protection

The 22nd National Assembly, since its opening, has been dynamically engaged in legislative activities reflecting the voices from the education sector, alongside tense inter-party confrontations over the reform of the criminal justice system. According to sources from the National Assembly and related institutions as of August 5, 2026, lawmakers from the Cho Kuk Innovation Party (CKIP) are notably accelerating their on-the-ground policy initiatives, focusing on the Education Committee and the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts. Specifically, Representative Hwang Jung-min has been visiting educational sites nationwide to directly hear from teachers and students, and is preparing to introduce a bill to alleviate the educational cost burden for low-income families, thereby solidifying policy specifics.

Legislative Moves Towards Educational Fairness and Teacher Rights Protection

Lawmakers from the CKIP are concentrating on legislative tasks aimed at fundamentally improving the education system. In the Education Committee, Representative Kim Joo-sik has questioned specific measures to guarantee students' learning rights and is reviewing a draft bill for the Normalization of Private Education Act to eradicate unfair practices in the private tutoring market. This is seen as a strategic move to restore the status of public education and reduce the economic burden on households. Additionally, they are preparing a revised Teachers' Protection Act to prevent infringements on teachers' rights, aiming to strengthen stability in the educational field. Representative Lee Jong-dam is focusing on developing legislation related to curriculum reform, emphasizing flexibility in school education to adapt to future societal changes and foster students' self-directed learning abilities. Believing that guaranteeing teachers' professionalism and boosting their morale leads to qualitative improvements in education, Representative Lee is pushing for the introduction of bills to enhance teachers' status. Representative Ju Young-gyu is also preparing legislation that balances the protection of teachers' legitimate educational activities with respect for student rights, while serving as a member of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts to enhance the efficiency of budget deliberations. The notable deployment of numerous CKIP lawmakers, including Representatives Choi Ki-chul and Baek Gun-gi, to the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts suggests a strategic understanding that education and welfare policies require substantial budgetary support to gain traction. Representative Lee Ki-woo, from the Health and Welfare Committee, has announced his intention to introduce bills to resolve medical fee issues and nurture essential medical personnel, thereby strengthening public services across both education and healthcare.

Sharp Confrontation Between Ruling and Opposition Parties Over Criminal Procedure Act Amendment

The amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act, which aims to abolish the prosecution's direct investigative powers and supplementary investigative powers, has emerged as a core political issue. During a supreme council meeting, Democratic Party Acting Leader Han Byung-do emphasized the normalization of the criminal justice system and the protection of victims' rights, characterizing the People Power Party's criticisms as malicious political attacks. Acting Leader Han clarified that the expanded provision for the dismissal of cases was not intended for any specific individual and pledged to ensure thorough follow-up legislation and institutional adjustments to support the investigation of the Central Investigation Agency. In contrast, the People Power Party has strongly opposed the amendment, labeling it an experimental legislation that threatens the public's life and safety. In a statement, Floor Leader Choi Soo-jin emphasized that prosecutors' supplementary investigations served as the last safeguard against flawed investigations and pointed to issues of case backlog and personnel shortages within the police force. Concerns were also raised that the overload and procedural complexity of the public defender system would ultimately burden the public. President Lee Jae-myung, during briefings with relevant ministries including the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, inquired about the legal basis for prosecutors' investigative actions being explicitly prohibited or extinguished following the implementation of the amended Criminal Procedure Act, examining potential public harm from changes in the judicial system. As Minister of Justice Chung Sung-ho confirmed that the legal basis for all investigations had disappeared, while also stating it was not in the form of a prohibition, friction surrounding role adjustments among investigative agencies and legal interpretations is expected to continue for the time being.

Internal Shifts within the Ruling Party Evidenced by Party Line Departures and Voting Results

An analysis of the voting results on key bills recently passed in plenary sessions reveals subtle disagreements within the ruling People Power Party. For the partial amendment of the Public Health Control Act, processed on July 23, 2026, 38 PPP lawmakers voted in favor, but seven, including Representatives Park Dae-chul, Park Soo-young, and Seo Ji-young, cast dissenting votes, diverging from the party's official stance. Such departures are analyzed as phenomena that occur when the interests of specific industries or local constituency issues conflict with the party's official position. Departing votes were also observed in the amendment to the Korea Rural Community Corporation and Farmland Management Fund Act, a key bill for rural areas. In the vote on June 18, 2026, while 64 PPP members voted in favor, ten, including Representatives Yoo Sang-bum, Kang Min-kuk, Kim Do-eup, and Yoon Han-hong, expressed opposition. The amendment to the Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources also saw eight dissenting votes from lawmakers including Yoo Sang-bum, Kim Mi-ae, and Shin Dong-wook, indicating that party members are making different judgments between environmental regulations and the burden on industries. These individual departures are expected to serve as a test for the party leadership's control and policy coordination capabilities in future legislative processes. Notably, lawmakers like Yoo Sang-bum and Park Soo-young have repeatedly cast dissenting votes on various bills, suggesting a strengthening tendency for conscience voting on specific issues. This significantly increases the likelihood of becoming a variable in forming a unified front within the ruling party during negotiations with the major opposition party.

Future Market and Industry Outlook Based on National Assembly Legislative Trends

The bills currently being discussed in the National Assembly are expected to have a significant ripple effect across industries, beyond education and the judicial system. The Normalization of Private Education Act and teacher status enhancement bills being pursued in the education sector herald structural changes in the education services market. If the strengthening of public education and regulation of private education become reality, changes in the revenue structures of related listed companies will be unavoidable, and the direction of the Education Technology (EdTech) industry is also likely to be reorganized around public education support. The adjustment of investigative powers due to the amendment of the Criminal Procedure Act is expected to impact the legal services market and public safety sectors. Depending on the successful establishment of the investigative powers adjustment between the prosecution and the police, the processing time and cost of criminal cases may fluctuate, which is expected to bring about changes in the response strategies of law firms. In particular, a considerable amount of administrative budget is expected to be invested in follow-up legislation such as the establishment of a Central Investigation Agency, making the deliberation process of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts a key link in determining the future budget execution efficiency of related industries. Overall, the 22nd National Assembly is in a phase where the drive for livelihood-oriented legislation and political judgment surrounding judicial justice are intricately intertwined. The CKIP's active pursuit of education legislation, the inter-party confrontation over the Criminal Procedure Act, and the trend of conscience voting within the ruling party are expected to act as three major variables determining the future legislative landscape. It is a time for businesses and investors to closely monitor the statements and bill introduction trends of lawmakers belonging to each committee to identify both policy risks and opportunities.